


sugar, we're going down (swimming)

by leeminhyoongi



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Swimming, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Swimming Pools, other members are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 08:36:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12453621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leeminhyoongi/pseuds/leeminhyoongi
Summary: Jihoon drowns.





	sugar, we're going down (swimming)

**Author's Note:**

> Alternatively, 2Park flirting in the pool because daquadTM asked for it, and this is my lousy form of an apology for being almost completely MIA these past five or so weeks???
> 
> Someone from daquadTM asked if I'm still alive, and someone else said I need to write more flirty Woojin. This is my response to the both of them, hahahaha.

“That is _the_ worst idea _ever_ ,” Jihoon admits. A little too loudly, if he and his friends were to be completely honest, but at least the shrieks from the group of children waddling in the kiddie pool to their right overpowers Jihoon’s voice just enough to save him and his friends from embarrassment.

Jinyoung takes a long sip from his fancy margarita glass. There’s absolutely _no_ alcohol in it though, just pineapple juice with a touch of salt on the rim because he’s pretentious as heck sometimes. The bartender, Jisung hyung, as hilarious as he may be, is too much of a mom sometimes that he doesn’t let any of them take even a mere glance at the shelf of liquor behind the counter. “It’s honestly not _that_ bad, tell him it’s not a bad plan, Daehwi.”

Daehwi smiles, and if Jihoon hadn’t known him any better, Jihoon would’ve thought he was going to take Jihoon’s side on this one. “It’s _bad_ , but _not_ worse than spending at least six hours of the last three consecutive days at this pool just to spy on the lifeguard whose name you haven’t even managed to get yet.”

Jihoon almost breaks his neck as he cranes it in all directions to make sure no one else has heard Daehwi because his voice is shrill as hell and the group of kids decided that now was the perfect time to behave. “You don’t even swim, let alone get a tan,” Daehwi continues, oblivious to the discomfort he’s making his older friend feel as his hands point accusingly at the _thin_ sweatshirt Jihoon was currently wearing over his swim trunks that reach his _knees_. Daehwi’s too honest and too straightforward for anyone’s good sometimes, Jihoon thinks.

“Oh my goodness, _David_ , shut up.”

Daehwi pouts, and Jinyoung chuckles but pats him comfortingly on the back.

“We only spend, like, five hours a day here, by the way,” Jihoon claims. “It takes Jinyoung way too long to get out of bed that by the time we arrive, _his_ shift has already begun.”

“Wow, hyung, what could you have done in that one hour?”

“Not get the boy he’s been watching’s name is most definitely not a part of that list.”

 

Jihoon contemplates on whom between Daehwi and Jinyoung he should try to drown in the kiddie pool first.

 

 

 

Their school’s break has recently started, and Daehwi thought it would be a good idea for them to hang out at the nearby pool. For a day or two was all Daehwi had in mind, but that all changed when Jihoon’s eyes landed on the lifeguard on duty – and have actually never left him since.

Jihoon has always been told he was beautiful and handsome and all of their synonyms, and he grew up thinking he was pretty alright (pretty, alright). He doesn’t think he’s ever really understood all the adjectives he’s been called until he saw this boy, though. This boy whose hair curls in all the right directions, whose eyes reflect the lights better than the pool’s pristine waters can, whose snaggletooth peeks from his smiles in the most adorable ways, and whose skin radiates in the sunlight that Jihoon swears is almost _god_ -like.

Jihoon drowns.

He drowns in brown waves, in hazelnut eyes, in nude lips, in tan skin, in –.

 

“Pakoojin!” Kuanlin’s booming voice cuts through Jihoon’s train of thought. Jihoon turns to find his too-tall and too-loud friend, an eyebrow already raised in question because _what the heck is a “pakoojin”_ , is this a new dessert Kuanlin wants to try. Before he can locate his friend, however, he sees _the lifeguard_ looking at their general direction with his own eyebrow also raised in question because – oh.

 

_Oh._

_Pakoojin._

_Park._

_Woojin._

_Park Woojin._

 

_That’s his name._

“What the hell are you talking about now, Kuanlin?” Jinyoung asks as the younger gets close enough for them to have a conversation in an appropriate volume.

“Park Woojin!” Kuanlin shouts again. “That’s the lifeguard’s na-!” Now it’s Kuanlin’s turn to get cut off by Jihoon’s hand over his mouth (entire face, actually).

Daehwi, ever quick to catch onto the events of life, cocks his head to the side to meet _the lifeguard_ ’s– Park Woojin—confused gaze, and sends an innocent and sweet smile his way. Park Woojin buys it, albeit a bit hesitantly, and half-smiles in return.

“Bedroom voices, _please_ ,” Jihoon begs from under the beach towel he’s already managed to hide himself in. Daehwi tuts in disappointment because he missed Woojin’s smile.

“The only bedroom voice you want to hear is Park Woojin’s though.”

 

Jihoon decides whether or not Kuanlin could drown in the kiddie pool if he pushes him in correctly.

 

 

 

"I'm not doing it," Jihoon says after both Jinyoung and Daehwi have finished explaining Jinyoung's Brilliant Idea to the youngest (and loudest) of their circle of friends, who, much to Jihoon's disappointment, is more than willing to join in on it.

"And why not?" Kuanlin asks. His bottom lip is jutting out a little bit, but he knows all too well that it's enough to make Jihoon eventually give in to whatever it is he's asking for.

"Because, like I said earlier, it's the worst plan ever."

"We all disagree," Jinyoung supplies. Jihoon raises an eyebrow at Daehwi because he did say he also thinks it's a dumb idea, but, again, to Jihoon's dismay, Daehwi touches Jinyoung's shoulder and nods in agreement.

"It's really not that bad, hyung," Kuanlin says. "And didn't you take acting lessons a couple of summers ago? It'd be a piece of cake for you then."

"I don't care if I still take acting lessons now or if it's a piece of cupcake, I am not doing it because it's _the worst plan ever_."

All three of Jihoon's younger friends are now pouting, and Jihoon almost feels sorry for them. They all have their individual charms, and collectively, they’re deadly, but as Jihoon recalls that they all think making him pretend he's drowning in a pool—that only has a couple of inches above his own height, by the way—just to get the lifeguard's – Park Woojin's attention, Jihoon holds his pride.

He wraps himself in the beach towel he used to hide himself earlier that day, and misses the way Daehwi rolls his eyes in disbelief because they're approaching their third hour in the pool for the fourth consecutive day, and Jihoon still has not touched the water let alone take out whatever articles of clothing he has on.

"Woojin hyung is going to think Jihoon hyung's a little crazy to be wrapped up like a burrito in a pool on a school holiday," Kuanlin whispers, but he's honestly too loud that Jihoon hears anyway.

"Seeing as you screamed his name at us earlier today, and we're all a bunch of strangers to him, I don't mind being hidden from his view, thank you very much," Jihoon whispers back.

Suddenly, a whistle is blown that breaks their littler banter, and Jihoon has already grown familiar to the sound. He whips his head to the direction of the lifeguard post because he knows it's Woojin's whistle, and that it means action. Well, not really, action, because Woojin had just blown his whistle at a couple who has decided to make out in the middle of the pool with people from all age groups surrounding them to witness the scene.

"Hi, uh sorry to interrupt but, there are kids and uhm, elderly," Woojin says, a hand scratching the back of his head. He's uncomfortable, and it's obvious to Jihoon, but it's his job to make sure that the pool is a safe place, so he's gotta do what he has to do. The girl ducks her head in shame, but her boyfriend has the audacity to flash Woojin the finger. Jihoon tries his best not to throw a banana from Kuanlin's fruit platter at him.

"That's disturbing," Daehwi says after the couple has left the area. He stands up and extends a hand towards Jihoon. "Come with me and get a drink from Jisung hyung?" Daehwi asks him.

Jihoon reluctantly looks away from an already-sitting Woojin, still slightly entranced by the lifeguard. "I'm not thirsty."

Daehwi smiles as the other two younger boys chuckle. "Of course you _aren't_ , hyung, but I'm pretty sure that couple making out disgusted you at least a little bit, so let's go wash the bile down with a strawberry smoothie or something, yeah?"

Daehwi wasn't completely wrong, so Jihoon nods in agreement. He leaves his beach towel and his phone on the lounge chair, but puts on his favorite pair of sunglasses because he appreciates being able to spy on Park Woojin without being caught.

His sunglasses are a little too tinted for his own good that he misses Daehwi stepping to the side just as both Jinyoung and Kuanlin stand right behind Jihoon as they push him into what they all hope is the deepest part of the pool – or at least deep enough that Jihoon's toes can't reach the floor so he can pretend like he's drowning, just as planned.

Pretend, because Jihoon knows how to swim, okay.

It's most definitely the element of surprise, because Jihoon took swimming lessons for at least two years when he was a child so it's impossible that he's suddenly forgotten how to swim and is actually flailing his arms in alarm.

His sunglasses, which are still magically on the bridge of his nose, are skewed, making it harder for him to see. His sweatshirt, as thin as it may be, is clinging to him tightly because of the water, making it harder for him to breathe. He's also always wished he had longer legs because the ones he has now aren't doing him any good by not being able to reach the floor at all, even on his tippy-toes.

Jihoon can't believe it, but he's _actually_ drowning. No matter how hard he treads, no matter how hard he kicks, he's still unable to swim or float. He can't believe that he's actually drowning, and that he may actually die like this.

Jihoon has always had a little inclination to drama, so he closes his eyes after what seems to be an eternity of waving his arms and kicking his legs and trying to catch his breath, but miserably failing at all three. He feels himself sinking deeper into the pool just as his lungs exhale the last of his breath, and he's fine like this, he thinks, at least he spent the last four days looking at the very personification of a Greek god.

He’s probably ingested too much water that it’s begun to cloud his consciousness because he doesn’t register the fact that he’s now being hugged around the waist and brought closer to the light.

 _Ah, wow, heaven_ , he thinks.

But he’s mistaken.

Just a few minutes ago, Jihoon was drowning in water, in ice cold, in blue.

Now, as he's carefully laid on the pebbled floor of the poolside, with a familiar figure hovering above him, he realizes he's drowning in brown, in hazelnut, in nude, in tan.

He's now drowning in Park Woojin.

He must've swallowed a reasonable amount of water that's making his head process things slower than it's used to. Either that or he's absolutely lost in Park Woojin and his brown and hazelnut and nude and tan. Whatever it is, he can't clearly make out what the voices around him are saying, but he knows there are voices. He can hear Jinyoung's quiet one, and Daehwi's shrill one, and Kuanlin's loud one. He can even make out the obnoxious voices of the group of kids earlier, but one voice cuts through them all.

It's deep and hypnotizing, it brings Jihoon back to reality.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Jihoon blinks a couple of times before he finally understands that the voice is Park Woojin's and it's asking him if he's alright.

Jihoon opens his mouth to respond, but he ends up coughing up pool water instead.

Woojin puts a hand on Jihoon’s shoulder as he helps Jihoon sit up, and it eventually slides down to Jihoon's back to rub soothing circles in an attempt to ease his coughing.

Jihoon suddenly feels warm, and he's trying to convince himself it's because of the sunlight and not Park Woojin and his hand and his proximity, but when Park Woojin is shoved aside by his three (annoying and wretched) friends, Jihoon suddenly feels cold again.

"Oh my gosh, hyung, are you alright?"

"Can you hear us?"

"How are you feeling, hyung?"

Jihoon can feel all eyes on him, and it's making him uncomfortable so he nods hastily. "T-towel, p-please," he stutters. His three friends, once again, prove to be unreliable as they trip on each other on their way back to the lounge chair Jihoon left his towel on. Before any of them make it back, a new and warm towel is dropped on Jihoon's head. He pulls it down slightly and looks up, and he's drowning again in golden Park Woojin.

"Are you okay?" Woojin asks again. He gets another towel from the boy standing next to him with a couple of towels folded atop his arms and uses it to dry himself. "I'm no doctor but you were in the water for a while and out for a little longer, we were all getting worried."

Jihoon nods slowly. "Y-yeah, I'm okay."

Jinyoung, Daehwi, and Kuanlin make it back to him – without a towel, by the way, but Jihoon’s already feeling warm – and envelope him in their embrace and coos. “We’re sorry, hyung, we didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” they chorus, and Jihoon’s eyebrow twitches a bit because this is _exactly_ what they planned. He gives each of them a light pat on their butts anyway to let them know he’s alright and that it’s okay.

Woojin, who still hasn’t left, smiles as he watches the group of friends calm each other down. One thing he absolutely loves about his job is the reassurance and relief after saving someone, and they’re both flooding him after this particular incident. He clears his throat. “In behalf of the clubhouse, I would like to apologize for the accident today,” he begins. All four of his audience look back at him in surprise. “I would relay it to the management immediately, and suggest they improve their safety and security measures around the area.”

“W-wait, w-what,” Jihoon stutters in disbelief and embarrassment. “Y-you don’t have t-to do that. Th-this wasn’t an a-accident.”

Woojin shakes his head and grins. Jihoon feels lightheaded because of Woojin’s damp fringe and snaggletooth. “I insist. If you could just give me your name and contact number, that would be great.”

Daehwi arches an eyebrow, which Woojin catches. His grin doesn’t falter though. “For _business purposes_ , of course.”

Jihoon’s still a bit lost, so it’s Jinyoung who grabs the piece of paper and pen from the boy beside Woojin, and jots down their names and contact details. He encircles Jihoon’s – for business purposes, of course. He hands it to the boy beside Woojin, but the older grabs it after quickly shaking his hands dry. “Thank you,” he says. He then crouches down to meet Jihoon’s eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay? There’s a clinic nearby, I could bring you?”

Jihoon wants to say no, that’s he’s not okay because Woojin is too close and too beautiful, it’s making it difficult for him to breathe again. Jihoon wants to say yes to Woojin’s invitation of bringing him to the clinic if it means getting more time to spend with him. Jihoon shyly nods his head. “I’m okay, thanks, I have three _amazing_ friends to help me anyway.”

Woojin glances at the younger three and chuckles. “Alright. I’ll, uh, take this to the office. Keep out of the water until I come back, yeah?”

 

 

 

Daehwi’s a little disappointed Jihoon hadn’t decided to go home after the fiasco earlier, but the small smiles that erupt from Jihoon’s face every time Woojin does something as simple as blow his whistle at rowdy kids are enough reasons for Daehwi to let this slide.

A blond with a little mole under his right eye approaches Woojin, and they all know that this is Daniel hyung, the lifeguard following Woojin’s shift. The three younger ones turn to Jihoon, eyes demanding if they could go now. Jihoon sighs, but there’s no poison to it, and nods his head.

“If I didn’t almost die today, I would say thank you for enduring another _six hours_ of spying on the lifeguard – we were very productive today, as well, since we got his name and actually got to talk to him,” Jihoon says as he stuffs his belongings into his drawstring bag. “But since you actually pushed through with your plan and almost ki-.”

“Heading home?”

Jihoon raises his head towards the voice he’s only heard today but swears will love hearing forever. Woojin’s pulled a thin shirt over his bare torso, and Jihoon isn’t sure if he’s grateful or remorseful. Woojin’s smiling and his snaggletooth is peeking out again, and Jihoon wants to jump in the pool and never get out.

“Y-yeah.”

“You guys coming back tomorrow?” It seems like an innocent question, and Jihoon is about to say yes. “Or have you grown tired of the pool?”

Jinyoung chokes on his spit, Daehwi pats his back comfortingly, and Kuanlin tries his best to muffle his laughter.

Jumping into the pool and never getting out sounds like a very good plan, Jihoon thinks.

“We’re coming back, hyung,” Daehwi assures Woojin. Woojin’s grin grows, and all three of Jihoon’s friends are worried about his wellbeing.

“Great, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

The ride home gives Jihoon a massive headache – between wanting to drown his friends in the kiddie pool for being such annoying brats to wanting to drown in golden Park Woojin for the rest of his life, Jihoon doesn’t know what else he could do to calm his mind and heart and entire being. When he arrives home, he downs a pain reliever and a glass of cold water. Tomorrow is a new day, and he has to be prepared.

 

 

 

 

 

It surprises his three younger friends that Jihoon isn’t screaming at Jinyoung to hurry out of bed. Jihoon shrugs. “We had a lot of progress yesterday. I know his name, and can search for him on Facebook once school starts and stalk him there instead.”

Daehwi and Kuanlin gag as Jinyoung dives right back into his beddings, shouting something along the lines of “I didn’t hear that, I don’t know who that disgusting hyung standing by my bed is.”

When they arrive at the pool, Woojin’s shift has already begun, and Jihoon’s a little disappointed because that means he missed seeing Woojin take his shirt off (which is the main reason he likes being early, okay, but he will never let his friends know this). The world must be so fucking in love with Jihoon, though, because it makes it up to Jihoon by letting Woojin wave him and his friends welcome.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Woojin yells from his post.

“We could never,” Daehwi responds as he side-eyes a reddening Jihoon.

They walk to their usual spot, but instead of sitting down, the three younger ones stand in a semi-circle in front of Jihoon and demand that he strip and swim.

“What? No way,” Jihoon answers. “We’ve spent four days without me doing anything-.”

“But be a creep.”

“What’s another day of sitting here and-.”

“Continue being a creep.”

Jihoon sighs in defeat and says a silent prayer asking for new friends.

“Hyung,” Daehwi begins. “You’ve gotten Woojin hyung’s name and even talked to him. Like you said, progress, so let’s continue with that development and actually swim, yeah?”

Daehwi is too adorable for anyone’s good, Jihoon thinks, so he eventually gives in – after Jinyoung and Kuanlin have also employed their own aegyos.

Jihoon convinces them to enter the pool using the stairs not in Woojin’s line of sight. “I don’t want him to see me spying on him,” Jihoon reasons. The younger three agree anyway, at least they finally get in the water.

 

They enjoy a couple of minutes swimming and playing around. Jihoon feels slightly sorry he’s wasted five hours of their last four days just lounging around. Their loud laughter assures him that this is enough consolation, but it also makes him not notice the figure creeping up on him from behind.

“Hey,” is whispered right by his ear, and Jihoon almost slips (the pool’s floor is tiled, okay) as he whizzes around to come face to face with brown, hazelnut, nude, tan – _golden_.

 

Woojin.

 

In the pool.

 

With Jihoon.

 

Right.

 

Behind.

 

Jihoon.

 

 _Fuck_.

 

“H-hi, what are y-you doing here?” Jihoon asks. He’s gotten red due to surprise, and as he registers Woojin’s hand on his waist that stopped him from falling any further into the water, he grows even redder.

“You’re swimming.”

Jihoon nods. Woojin’s voice is quiet, and Jihoon contemplates on whether he can hear it so clearly because of their proximity or because his ever reliable friends have decided to shut up and watch.

“I’m the lifeguard.”

Jihoon nods again. “ _And_?””

“It’s my job to make sure everyone’s safe.”

Jihoon nods a third time. “You can do that from your post, you’ve been doing exactly that from your post.”

Woojin chuckles and it’s absolute music to Jihoon’s ears. His knees give away slightly, and Woojin is quick to tighten his hold on Jihoon’s waist. “Yeah, but,” Woojin replies as his eyes quickly run across Jihoon’s body. “I’ve inferred you’re particularly clumsy and need special attention.”

Jihoon’s a deep crimson now, and Woojin notices because he’s now smirking in triumph. “I’m fine, really. I told you yesterday, I have three amazing friends to help me,” Jihoon mentally pats himself on the back for being able to say that without stammering.

Woojin cocks his head to the side to get a clear view of the younger three behind him and Jihoon. They’re caught off guard and clumsily try to act normal. In the process, Jinyoung accidentally elbows Kuanlin square on the chest, who in turn sends a mini tidal wave straight into Daehwi’s face.

“Amazing,” Woojin teases, and Jihoon sighs in defeat.

They’re looking at each other now, but no words are exchanged, just deep gazes. The water lapping around them helps in calming Jihoon down a bit, but his heart is still on the verge of beating out of his chest as he stands under Woojin’s stare.

“There are kids and, uhm, elderly,” Jihoon starts after a few more seconds of silence and staring. “Who may need your guidance and help,” he finishes, eyes darting at everything and everyone except the brown, the hazelnut, the nude, and the tan of _golden Park Woojin_.

“There’s another lifeguard, you know. He’s quiet and tall, walks around a lot,” Woojin explains.

Jihoon shakes his head. “I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”

Woojin chuckles. He lightly puts three of his fingers on the side of Jihoon’s face to make the older look him directly in the eyes. “I figured. Since, well, you’ve been too busy watching _me_.”

Jihoon chokes on air and on spit and on everything else possible that makes Woojin laugh. “I h-have not!” He splashes water onto Woojin’s face for good measure.

Woojin laughs even more, even louder, and Jihoon thinks he could drown in the sound. “You have, _I know._ ”

Jihoon splashes more water onto Woojin’s face because he wants Woojin to stop teasing, stop talking, to stop existing so that he could actually breathe properly. Woojin laughs through it all, but eventually grabs hold of Jihoon’s wrists. Jihoon has lost the upper hand now, and all he can do is watch and wait.

“I know because _I’ve been watching you too_ ,” Woojin supplies, quiet and slow. His ears are tinged pink, and Jihoon can’t believe he can get any more adorable than he already is.

Jihoon opens and closes his mouth a couple of times, unable to decide on what to respond to Woojin’s confession. Woojin’s eyes disappear into crescents as he laughs in adoration at Jihoon.

The both of them don’t know what to say, but in the back of their minds, they know what they want to do. It involves giggling and kissing and whispering and basically being in absolute awe of each other.

Their trains of thought are interrupted by a “Woojin-ah!” coming from the other lifeguard Woojin was talking about earlier.

“The flowers you asked for a Park Jihoon are ready at the manager’s office already,” he says. If he thinks it’s odd that Woojin and Jihoon are inappropriately close to each other considering that neither of them are drowning or whatever, he keeps silent about it. Both of them are grateful.

“Thanks, Minhyun-hyung,” Woojin says shyly as he ducks his head in embarrassment. It’s Jihoon’s turn to laugh at him, and the pink of Woojin’s ears have now reached his cheeks.

“For business purposes, huh,” Jihoon muses after Minhyun hyung leaves them alone again. Woojin lightly slaps the surface of the pool, making water splash all over Jihoon’s face. Jihoon is too mesmerized for his own benefit, and Woojin is too quick for his own good, that the act catches Jihoon by surprise, causing him to slight stumble backwards, allowing Woojin to pull him _even_ closer than they were a few seconds ago.

“I love my job, you know.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a long five weeks, and I've missed everyone and everything. Another rotation at the hospital starts tomorrow though, lolololol.
> 
> My Twitter is @[park__lee](https://twitter.com/park__lee) if you guys want to see me talk about my love for the boys of 1999.


End file.
